Contentious emails between Jared Bridegan, a Microsoft employee murdered in 2022, and his ex-wife Shanna Gardner emerged from redacted documents recently released. These emails paint a picture of deep-seated discord centering on financial disputes and child therapy during the couple’s divorce proceedings.
Bridegan met a tragic end on February 16, 2022, after stopping for a tire obstructing a secluded road in Jacksonville Beach, Florida—an act that prosecutors argue was a deliberate trap set by Gardner and her new husband, Mario Fernandez Saldana. At the time of the murder, Bridegan’s toddler daughter was in the car, unharmed.
According to files obtained by Fox News Digital, a search conducted in Gardner’s residence in West Richland, Washington, yielded multiple electronic devices. These devices, detailed in a February 2023 warrant, were reportedly hidden in her bedroom closet and above the office ceiling as hinted by one of the children during the search.
The highlighted emails, dating back to April and May 2017, encapsulate the strained relations post-divorce. In April 2017, Gardner criticized Bridegan for his lack of financial contribution and disregard for the therapy sessions they had agreed were necessary for their children. “They are caught in the crossfire of living between two houses,” Gardner expressed in one email, chastising Bridegan for his priorities.
Bridegan’s responses were equally charged. He insisted on not paying for things unilaterally decided by Gardner and questioned her lifestyle choices, including her decision to cover up her tattoos during court appearances and her financial management. “Wowwwww Satan be careful, you really should wait to show your hand this early on,” he wrote, hinting at deeper issues.
In May 2017, in a particularly emphatic message, Bridegan stood firm on his family values, “You will not thwart this,” he wrote about raising his family in a “Christ-centered home.”
The bitter email exchange sheds light on the turbulent backdrop leading up to the murder that shocked Jacksonville Beach. Gardner and Fernandez-Saldana, along with an alleged hitman, Henry Tenon, face charges related to Bridegan’s death. Tenon has already pleaded guilty to the shooting and agreed to testify against Gardner and Fernandez-Saldana, both of whom have pleaded not guilty.
Fox News Digital reached out to Gardner’s attorney, Jose Baez, and the State Attorney’s Office for the 4th Judicial Circuit for comments on these developments, further illustrating the complexities of a case that remains under keen public scrutiny.